San Francisco 49ers: 10 best single-season performances in franchise history

Which 49ers players have put together the best single-season performances in the history of the franchise?

The San Francisco 49ers have enjoyed some amazing seasons ever since the franchise was formed back in 1946.

Great seasons as a team are prompted by great seasons from players, and the Niners are also no strangers to some outstanding single-season efforts from those who donned the red and gold over the years.

In recent campaigns, tight end George Kittle has made a name for himself, setting numerous records and becoming a linchpin for the offense. Defensively, fans can hope for even more single-season standout campaigns from players like EDGE Nick Bosa.

Going back through the years, though, names like Hall of Famers Jerry Rice, Charles Haley and Steve Young earn praise. So are some other notable former 49ers greats such as linebacker Patrick Willis and running back Frank Gore.

But who had the best single-season campaigns ever? And where would each of these players’ best seasons stack up against the rest?

To set the criteria, a player can only appear once on this list. Rice, Young, quarterback Joe Montana and others could appear multiple times, of course, if the rules allowed. Yet let’s not leave out some others, as these rankings are based on stats, accolades and Niner Noise’s complex evaluatory system (the human brain).

But first, some single seasons which didn’t make the cut but deserved to be mentioned.